Sedan News

The long-awaited launch of South Korean luxury brand Genesis has been delayed yet again - this time, the launch is slated for June 2019.

The days of having a car key bulging in your pocket or getting lost at the bottom of your handbag could soon be over.

Electric vehicle pioneer brand Tesla has slashed prices across its Model S and Model X ranges, with up to $85,000 cut from the asking price.

Subaru has launched a major 121,754-vehicle recall to fix a potential fault which can cause the brake lights to fail (though the brakes themselves will still work), with every Forester, WRX, Impreza and XV sold over a particular timeframe impacted.

The updated Honda Civic 2019 sedan range sees mildly revised styling, added equipment and a broader spread of the brand’s active safety suite, known as Honda Sensing.Priced from $22,390 (+$200), the updated Civic range is only available in sedan form currently - the hatchback still continues alongside the sedan, but is yet to be updated. The 2019 Civic sedan is still available in five models with two engines and a standard CVT automatic transmission.Revised styling includes a reshaped front facia with a black chrome grille and fog lamp surrounds, as well as subtly revised front and rear spoilers. The range features updated wheel designs, with the RS receiving new 18-inch alloy wheels (previously 17-inches) with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.The interior has also received an update, with different trims and new media system buttons - previously the central screen was a touch-only affair, including the volume control. New buttons feature on the side of the media screen, including a volume knob, phone button and a home button as well. According to Honda, the new buttons will help user-friendliness inside the Civic’s cabin. However, the most important news for the updated Civic sedan range is the increase in standard fitment of the brand’s Honda Sensing active safety suite. Previously limited to just the top spec VTi-LX, the VTi-L and RS now also feature Honda Sensing as standard. Safety features such as automatic emergency braking with forward collision warning and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality are now standard on the $27,990 VTi-L and up. The VTi and VTi-S are still unavailable with the potentially life-saving technology, which is disappointing considering the entire Mazda Australia passenger range is equipped with AEB as standard. Other small equipment updates include automatic high beam for Honda Sensing-equipped cars, auto-folding mirrors on the VTi-L and up, rear privacy glass for the VTi-S, a new Platinum White pearlescent paint option for the range, an RS-exclusive Phoenix Orange colour, as well as red seat stitching for the RS.There have been no mechanical changes for the Civic sedan lineup, with VTi and VTi-S models continuing to use a 104kW/174Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, and VTi-L, RS and VTi-LX a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 127kW/220Nm .All models use a CVT automatic transmission and claimed combined fuel consumption ranges from 6.0L/100km (VTi-L and VTi-LX), where the turbo engine in the RS uses 6.3L/100km thanks to its larger wheels. The VTi and VTi-S models with the 1.8L engine use a claimed 6.4L/100km. 

Peugeot has unveiled a new concept car based on the 508 sedan. Called the 508 Sport Engineered, the company has created the “beginning of an important year” and it will be debuted at the 2019 Geneva motor show. Based on the regular 508 hybrid sedan, yet with even more performance, the 508 Sport Engineered is capable of a 4.3 second 0-100km/h sprint and a top speed of 250km/h - yet also emissions of just 49g/km and an all-electric range of 50km. Using a 147kW 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine under the bonnet, as well as an 82kW front electric motor and a 147kW rear electric motor driving the rear wheels, the 508 Sport Engineered offers up to 500Nm of torque and uses an 11.8kWh battery pack.Accompanying the drivetrain is a lowered suspension package, as well as a widened front (24mm) and rear (12mm) track for enhanced handling capability. The 508 Sport Engineering’s brakes have been upgraded to four-piston calipers on 380mm ventilated front discs, while the tyres have been upgraded to 245/35 R20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S.To go with the substantial drivetrain upgrade is an exterior and interior styling refresh, with much more aggressive styling and sportier interior treatments.On the outside, the 508 Sport Engineered debuts a number of new styling treatments including new bumpers with more aggressive lines, a rear diffuser with winglets on the quarter panels, carbon fibre mirrors, ‘Selenium Grey’ paintwork and an anodized finished for the Peugeot badging. On the inside, ‘comfort fit’ seats trimmed in leather and Alcantara trim feature proudly, as does the 'Kryptonite Green' stitching, interior accents and buttons in the media system. Alcantara also features on the steering wheel and gear sector, as well as as the headlining. 

Mazda Australia has confirmed local pricing and specification for the much-anticipated, all-new fourth-generation Mazda3, with the hatch scheduled to arrive in April, and the sedan version following mid-year.

Mazda Australia has confirmed the Japanese brand’s breakthrough ‘Skyactiv-X’ engine technology will be available locally before the end of 2019 in the soon-to-be-launched, fourth-generation Mazda3.Long thought to be the unachievable holy grail of combustion engine design, combining the best attributes of diesel and petrol engine technology, Mazda says Skyactiv-X will be, “the world’s first commercial gasoline engine to run on compression ignition.”Announced at the 2017 Tokyo motor show, Skyactiv-X uses a combustion method Mazda calls ‘Spark Controlled Compression Ignition’ (SPCCI) designed to marry the strong low-end torque of a diesel, with the linear response and free-revving nature of a petrol engine.Still generating an initial fireball with a spark plug Mazda says the technology, “realises a seamless transition between compression ignition and spark ignition, maximising the zone in which compression ignition is possible.”Mazda also claims the SPCCI process “improves engine efficiency by up to 20-30 per cent over current Skyactiv-G engines.”When asked about the local sales potential of a Skyactiv-X-equipped Mazda3, Mazda Australia marketing director, Alastair Doak said, “We’ve haven’t made a volume call yet, I guess we’ll save that until closer to the time. But we think it will appeal to people who love tech for a start. There is a bunch of those higher involvement people who want the latest and greatest.”“But beyond that, the actual performance of the car is great. It feels very lively. It’s a 2.0-litre engine but you can gear the whole car down. It has much shorter gear ratios than those we have today and it feels incredibly fast,” he said.Mr Doak confirmed the Skyactive-X engine won’t replace the new Mazda3’s ‘conventional’ 2.0- or 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engines and that it would likely be offered on higher grades with a cost premium reflecting the complexity of the new technology’s development.

Mazda Australia says the safety technology incorporated in its soon-to-arrive, fourth generation Mazda3, “establishes a new norm for Mazda and a new safety norm for the small car segment.”The all-new Mazda3 is scheduled to arrive in hatch form in April, with the sedan version following mid-year, and Mazda says safety is a key purchase motivator for its customers.Standard active safety tech across the six model range includes ABS, EBA and EBD, front and rear ‘Smart Brake Support’ (Mazda-speak for AEB), blind spot monitoring, ‘Driver Attention Alert’ (DAA), ‘Forward Obstruction Warning’ (FOW), lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, radar cruise control (with ‘Stop & Go’ function), rear parking sensors, rear-cross traffic alert, reverse camera, traffic sign recognition, a tyre pressure monitoring system.On the passive side the airbag count has increased from six (driver and front passenger, side front, and curtain) to seven with the addition of a driver’s knee bag.The top-spec Astina also picks up the ‘Vision Technology’ safety pack, optionally available for $1500 on all other models.The package includes, a 360-degree view monitor, adaptive LED headlights, ‘Cruising & Traffic Support’ (semi-autonomous accelerator, brake and steering support up to 60km/h), driver monitoring (using in-cabin cameras), front cross-traffic alert, front parking sensors and Smart Brake Support (Rear Crossing).Several safety features are firsts for Mazda, including ‘Driver Monitoring’ which uses an infrared camera and infrared LED mounted in the instrument bezel to analyse the driver’s condition.The system measures how wide open the driver’s eyes are, the number of times they blink, as well as the angle of the mouth and face to determine levels of drowsiness or fatigue, day or night.Mazda says the set-up isn’t affected by hand movements or operation of the steering wheel, checking the driver’s line of sight and eye movement only to determine inattentiveness.If it senses a dangerous situation the system sounds an alert, working with the AEB (Mazda calls it ‘Smart Brake Support’), to shorten the time required for the brake warning to sound.‘Cruising & Traffic Support’ assists accelerator, brake and steering functions up to 60km/h, setting a proper trailing distance when following a vehicle ahead in heavy traffic, and supplementing steering torque to help maintain lane position.‘Front cross-traffic alert’ uses front-side radars to detect other vehicles approaching from blind spots to the front left or right of the vehicle when pulling away from a standing start.‘Intelligent speed assist’ recognises road signs (via traffic sign recognition) to adjust speed, flashing a graphic alert display if the vehicle exceeds the speed limit, for example down a steep hill.‘Adaptive LED headlights’ use an LED array divided into 20 blocks that can be turned on and off individually to adjust their illumination pattern depending on the car’s speed, and adjust for optimum visibility in cornering.Use of ultra-high-tensile steel has risen from three to 30 per cent, to now include the framework, bumper beam, B-pillars and side sills. And although the new Mazda3 is yet to be assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, Mazda is confident its new small car will do well.Mazda Australia marketing director, Alastair Doak told CarsGuide, “I assume it will be done in Europe, given we have the same car here that Europe has. Obviously, the way it’s specced we believe it will get five stars, and Mazda Corporation believes it will get five.”“But I think you can see how much standard safety is in the car. And we haven’t just done the ANCAP menu and ticked the box like some others have. We’ve gone beyond that. It’s about doing the best thing for our customers,” he said.

The Holden Commodore and Holden Astra model lines are here to stay, according to General Motors Holden chairman and managing director, Dave Buttner.